The Parenting Playbook
by junealii
Summary: When Dave and Emily approach some major parenting events in their children's lives, how do they handle the situations that are given to them?
1. Mia, age 2

**Well, hello there! It's been a while, hasn't it? I guess that life sometimes gets in the ways. It happens. With all my classes, sickness, pregnancy and all kinds of other drama going on, I just haven't had time to publish anything. But don't fret, I have a few stories in the works, a Hotch/OC and a Hotch/Garcia for sure and probably a few others based on random conversations with my beta, flashpenguin. With my new drive and someone to keep me on my toes, I hope that I can update on a regular basis.**

**The idea for this story came to me while having a conversation with my dad, but its also from my desire to write another "Daddy Dave" story. I have to admit, I really have missed writing this kind of story, so that's where this story came from.**

**And now for the part that I know some people skip, this story is dedicated to all those people who are still reading my stories whether they be old or new. You guys rock!**

**Sadly, I still don't own Criminal Minds, but a girl can dream.  
**

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Dave Rossi was a man of promise, and when he made a promise, he did everything within his power to keep it. Oh, how he wished he could break this one. He promised Mia that they would have a Princess party as soon as she was potty trained. It was just a tiny promise that Dave figured the young girl would forget. Unluckily for Dave, she hadn't.

"_Mommy will be back in a few days, okay baby?" Emily comforted, brushing Mia's curly hair away from her face. Sleepily the little girl rubbed her eyes and nodded as she clutched her stuffed lion closer to her chest. _

"_While I'm gone, be a good girl for Daddy and use the potty like a big girl." _

"_Big girl," Mia parroted back softly as her eyelids started drooping. _

"_Good night baby. Mommy loves you," Emily whispered before kissing Mia's forehead. Reaching over the young girl, she flipped on the nightlight beside the bed. _

_Glancing back at her sleeping daughter, Emily shut off the overhead light before closing the door and heading down the hallway._

_Hearing the bedroom door close, Dave glanced up from the case file in front of him._

"_She asleep?" Dave asked watching Em over the rim of his glasses._

"_Out like a light." She chuckled as she climbed into bed beside him. "Dave, don't forget that Mia doesn't say she has to go to the bathroom. You just have to notice her behavior change."_

"_Emily, I'm a seasoned profiler. I think I can notice when my 2 year old daughter has to go to the bathroom."_

"_You say that now." Em said under her breath._

"_What was that?" Curiosity peaked his interest._

"_I said, of course you will," she corrected, trying not to roll her eyes._

"_That's not what you said," he pointed out as Em flipped off her bedside lamp._

"_Goodnight Dave. I love you." _

"_That's since not what you said either," Dave said before kissing her gently on the lips. "I love you too."_

Emily left for New York on Monday morning, and the rest of that day was a disaster for Mia and Dave. Two accidents and two meltdowns later, Dave had given up on trying to get the young girl to use the potty for the day. Tuesday was not much better. Neither was Wednesday. As Mia's potty training seemed to regress, Dave could practically feel his hair turning gray. Em had called every night while she was away translating Arabic chatter, and of course, he never let on the potty situation.

"I will be home tomorrow evening. Can you handle potty training duty one more day?" Emily asked, and Dave could even hear the smirk in her voice.

"Yes, I can handle it. It's just one more day," Dave replied with false bravado. _'One more day_' he thought before smirking to himself, _'Yeah I thought the same thing on Monday. And on Tuesday. And on Wednesday_.'

He wanted to tell Emily that she was never allowed to leave for an extended period of time again, especially during a major parenting event.  
****

Dave sat on the couch beside his daughter who was currently mesmerized with 'My Little Pony'.

"Daddy, watch!" Mia demanded pointing towards the brightly colored cartoon.

"Daddy's watching," Dave answered, laying his newspaper down on the coffee table. Unable to stomach the cartoon, he watched as the young girl bounced along to the music and chatted quietly to her lion. One episode ended and another began when he noticed that Mia had started bouncing at a more frantic pace.

"Mia, do you have to go potty?" he asked before Mia nodded softly. Standing up from the couch, he followed his daughter to the bathroom.

"No, Daddy! Out!" Mia shouted, quickly pushing Dave out of the bathroom and shutting the door on him. He couldn't believe what had just happened; he couldn't wait to tell Emily.

"You alright by yourself, Princess?" Dave asked through the door.

"Yep," Mia said shortly.

Dave turned to head back to the couch until he heard music. He wasn't sure what would cause the young girl to hum 'Frosty The Snowman' while in the bathroom, but he couldn't help but laugh before walking back to the couch.  
***

"Daddy! Come, play with me!" Mia shouted from the top of the stairs before running back to her room.

Dave thought nothing of it until he walked into the bright purple room. _'Shit! She remembered_!' He thought as he noticed the tea party that was set up, along with multicolored dresses and lots of glitter. Dave groaned silently as Mia grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the small table.

"Only Princesses can go to tea parties," Mia announced. Standing in front of her daddy, she reached for a small round tube, followed by a very sticky substance.

Dave tried not to cringe as he felt something being applied to his cheeks. Mia chattered about making her daddy look pretty. There was poking, rubbing, and pulling as Mia applied things with all kinds of different textures to his face.

"Daddy, you look pretty!" Mia giggled as she reached for the brush. "Now I fix your hair."  
****

Tossing her keys onto the counter in the kitchen, Emily walked through the room before setting her suitcase beside the stairs. The voices of Marlin and Dory floated through the air, as she kicked off her boots and approached the couch. Grabbing the blanket off the floor, Emily covered Mia up before glancing over at her husband.

Pausing in disbelief, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. But she was glad for technology.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she chuckled and snapped a quick picture before quickly putting her phone away as Dave started to stir.

"Hey, you're home," Dave said softly. Emily came over and knelt down beside the couch.

"Dave, is there something you would like to tell me?" she asked, biting back her laughter.

"Mia used the potty today," he confessed.

"And?" Her eyes snapped with mischief.

"She hummed 'Frosty The Snowman' the whole time," he replied with a confused look on his face.

"And there's nothing else that happened?" Emily said finally cracking a smile.

"What?"

"When did you start moonlighting as a transvestite Dave?" Emily asked before bursting out in laughter. Cocking his head to the side, Dave raised his eyebrow. Shaking her head at the fact that he didn't catch the reference, she took out her phone. Pulling up the picture, she handed it to her husband.

Blushing fiercely, he handed it back. "I will pay you dearly to make sure that never gets out," he groused but pulled his daughter closer.

Fighting back tears, Emily looked at her husband and daughter with love. "Dave, pink is definitely your color."


	2. Mia, age 6

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and alerted this story, you guys made my day!  
**

**I still don't own Criminal Minds. It'd be awesome if I did though.  
**

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There were a lot of things that David Rossi knew for certain: he knew that he loved his family, he knew he loved his job, and he knew that Mia was protective of Matthew - just like any older sister would be.

She really couldn't help it - she had been born with his fierce loyalty to family and her mother's temper. It was inevitable that she would stand her ground and defend her brother's honour. So, he really should have expected something like this to happen; after all, she was half Prentiss, but he never expected it to happen like this:

"_Can I play?" Matthew asked as he watched Mia, Jack and Henry play kickball in the backyard while their parents were inside talking about parent things. _

"_Sure," Mia said as Henry nodded._

"_No," Jack answered at the same time as Mia. _

"_Play with me!" Henry said and grabbed Matthew's hand._

"_Why can't Mattie play?" Mia asked furrowing her eyebrows, her hands on her hips._

"_Cause babies can't play soccer," Jack stated turning back towards Henry._

"_I'm not a baby," Matthew protested._

"_Mattie's not a baby!" Mia said crossing her arms across her chest._

"_Yes, he is!"_

"_No, he's not!" Mia shouted as she got in Jack's face._

"_Yes!"_

"_No!"_

"_Yes!"_

"_My little brother is not a baby." Mia said through her teeth as she stepped forward and shoved Jack with all her might. His dad may have told him to never push a girl but this was Mia, so Jack pushed her back.  
***_

_Henry threw open the back door and ran towards the kitchen as fast as his little legs would carry him._

"_Uncle Dave! Uncle Dave!" Henry shouted as he ran around the corner. "Mia and Jack are fighting!"_

_Immediately after the little boy finished his sentence, Dave and Hotch were already halfway to the door._

_Pushing open the door, Dave saw Mia and Jack in the middle of the backyard and both children were shouting at each other. _

_Then it happened, Mia's little fist made contact with Jack Hotchner's nose and then the blood started to flow along with young Jack's tears. _

"_Mia Elizabeth Rossi!" Dave said sternly as he and Hotch approached the two children. As Hotch was checking Jack over, Dave knelt down in front of his daughter._

"_Mia, you know that we don't hit."_

"_He deserved it." Mia said crossing her arms. She cast a tempered glance at the little boy who dare insult her brother._

_Dave thinned his lips in thought. "That is a pretty big accusation. Now you need to explain to me why he deserved it."_

"_You'll get mad." Her lip trembled slightly. It was one thing to defend her brother and hit Jack - who rightly deserved it - but it was quite another to disappoint her daddy._

"_Maybe, but I'll be angrier if you lie to me," Dave said as Hotch ushered a crying Jack inside to get cleaned up._

"_Jack wouldn't let Mattie play with us because Jack said he was a baby."_

_Dave nodded his head in understanding. "Jack called Mattie a baby, so you punched him?"_

"_Yep," Mia said proudly as she nodded._

"_That's my girl," Dave muttered under his breath._

"_What did you say?"_

"_I said that you not only have to apologize to Jack but you have to tell your mother what you did."_

"_No, you didn't; you said 'that's my girl'," Mia corrected. Dave shot a hard snort thru his nose as his hand covered his mouth. Turning his back toward her, his shoulders shook for a moment. Recovered, he looked back at his daughter, his eyes twinkling._

"_Go make your apologizes, young lady. Now," he ordered sternly._

"_But Daddy, I'm NOT sorry. I will NEVER be sorry. He was wrong," the little girl stated passionately._

"_Mia...you have to say you're sorry. That is how it goes. You do something wrong and then you have to apologize." His tone left no room for argument._

"_Well, I won't and you can't make me." Mia stamped her foot._

_Dave sighed. He was supposed to be a renown negotiator but criminals holding a bank full of people had nothing on a six year old girl with his genes. 'Think Dave, think…' What was that saying? 'You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar' . _

"_How about you apologize instead of saying you're sorry. That way you make me and your mom happy and you aren't lying."_

"_I won't." Her eyes filled with tears._

_Dave brushed her black curls from her forehead. With his heart in his eyes, he whispered, "Mia... do it for me. Okay?"_

"_Only for you, Daddy. But I'm not happy about it." Mia said before walking away from her father mumbling something about fairness under her breath.  
****_

Sitting on the couch with his arms wrapped around his wife, Dave thought about the day's events. He let out a short chuckle.

"Dave, can you believe that Mia punched Jack?" Em asked.

Letting out a long breath, Dave sighed and sipped his aged scotch. "It happens Em; kids fight."

She cocked her head in disbelief. "You're actually defending her actions?"

He twirled the amber liquid around before replying. "Well…after all, she is your daughter."

Shooting him a stare that could freeze an UNSUB on the spot, Em grumbled. "I still can't believed you praised her for punching Jack."

Dave gave her a half smile. "I guess we can rule out that Rossi/Hotchner merger we were hoping for," he groused and downed the remainder of his drink.

Em gave a short laugh and snuggled into her husband. His arm went around her shoulder. "I wouldn't rule that out…after all, she _is_ my daughter."


	3. Mattie, age 6

**Here's another installment of my "Daddy Dave" story. As much as I would like to take the credit for the really awesome idea for this chapter, I can't. It was all Kate, this chapter was her idea. I just took it and ran with it. After our wonderful brainstorming session, I have plenty of ideas for this story. So everyone keep your eyes peeled for this story and a few others that I plan to post in the near future. **

**I still don't own Criminal Minds. But my birthday is a little over a month away, I think I know what I'm going to ask for this year.  
**

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Dave had tried to not spoil his children, and if you asked him, he would say that they weren't spoiled but everyone else would say otherwise. Dave didn't consider getting Mia a little kitten for her birthday to be spoiling her, because it was what she wanted. Mia was Daddy's little princess - he wanted to get her everything she wanted, but as soon as that kitten laid eyes on him, he really wished that he hadn't.

Mia loved that little kitten that she named Spencer because of its mismatched black and white paws, Dave on the other hand did not. He felt that little tiny kitten was out to get him. The little demon that he dubbed "Strauss" would hiss at Dave whenever they were in the same room or growl at him whenever he would go to pet it. The cat was pure evil!

Every single time Hotch was around, and that cat showed its evil side towards Dave, he would remark about how vaguely familiar that seemed. Dave would just glare at his best friend. Everyone thought that little Spencer was the most adorable thing in the world but somehow he just didn't understand why. Matthew on the other hand, saw the little kitten as something to play with and something to torture.

Dave and Emily had lost count of how many times Mattie had gotten in trouble for doing something horrible to that little kitten. He had put the kitten in boxes, pillow cases and bags to carry it around the house, but this was by far the worst.  
****

When Emily had come home from a hard case earlier that week, she had mentioned the need to take a bath and "get a new attitude". So after Mattie had seen Spencer be so mean to his daddy, the little boy decided the kitten needed to get a new attitude. Mattie had taken special precautions: he laid everything out on the bathroom floor before he went about the house to hunt little Spencer down.

Mattie had had enough of this kitten hissing at his daddy every time he would say "Goodbye Spencer" before leaving the house. And he had definitely had enough after what happened that morning.

Earlier that morning, after Daddy had gotten back from the office he went to sit down at his desk to look over some case files when there was the worst screeching noise. Jumping up from his chair, Dave noticed the small grey kitten jump out of the chair.

"Little devil is just like Strauss," Dave mumbled under his breath as he watched the kitten run out of the office.

After finding the kitten hiding under one of the chairs in the dinner room, Mattie carried Spencer up the stairs towards the bathroom. Closing the door behind him, Mattie sat the scared kitten down on the floor and immediately Spencer started searched for somewhere to hide.

"Spencer, you need a new 'tude. You can't be mean to Daddy all the time," Mattie said before reaching up and turning on the tub faucet.

"Merowr!" Spencer screeched as Mattie tossed him into the tub.

Immediately when the kitten hit the water, he bounced right back out of the tub and darted towards to door, only to find it shut. Glancing around the bathroom, Mattie spotted the toilet. Reaching up, he flushed once for good measure before adding bubble bath to the bowl. Picking up the small kitten, he dropped Spencer into the toilet before reaching for the conditioner.

"I promise Spencer, you will have a brand new 'tude when this is done. And you will smell good too."

Using the little red cup in his hand, Mattie poured water over the kitten, making sure to rinse the conditioner out of Spencer's fur. Hearing the door to the bathroom open, Mattie froze as his sister started screaming.

"MATTIE! STOP DROWNING MY SPENCER!" Mia screamed running over and pushing her brother away from the toilet before grabbing a towel and wrapping up the sopping wet kitten.

"I was only helping," Mattie pleaded.

"You're so stupid. You can't do anything right!" Mia shouted.

"Don't call me stupid! Your kitty is stupid!" Mattie yelled before grabbing the bottle of conditioner and throwing it at his sister. The small blue bottle hit Mia's cheek and she started screaming bloody murder.

"MOM! MATTIE HIT ME WITH A BOTTLE!" Mia yelled as she ran towards the stairs with Spencer in her arms. "MATTIE WAS TRYING TO FLUSH SPENCER DOWN THE TOILET!"

"Matthew James Rossi! Go to your room!" Emily yelled from the bottom of the stairs as Mia continued to yell about her stupid little brother.

By the time Mattie had made it to his room, he decided that he was going to run away and live with Uncle Spencer or Uncle Derek because there were no girls at their houses.

Grabbing his Lightning McQueen backpack, he took his favorite shirt, a pair of underwear, his favorite bear and his shoes and put them all in his bag. As he tried to zip up the bag, he realized that one of his shoes would have to go. Now he was ready to leave.

With his backpack on his back, Mattie snuck down the stairs, through the living room towards the front door. Seeing Spencer run past him, Mattie stuck out his tongue before opening the door.

Walking down the driveway, Mattie realized that he didn't have a way to get to his Uncles and he didn't even know if he remembered how to get there. Turning back towards the house, Mattie sat down on the bottom step and started to cry.

Mattie didn't notice the truck pull into the driveway; he didn't even look up until a pair of black shoes appeared in front of him.

"What are you doing son?" Dave asked.

"I'm running away," Mattie said through his tears.

"Well, you didn't get very far." Dave he ruffled his son's hair.

"I wanna go live with Uncle Spencer or Uncle Derek," Mattie whispered as he wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"May I ask why?"

"There are no girls there."

"Well..." Dave sat down beside the little boy. "I can understand your feelings. Girls can certainly try a guy. So, what happened?"

"Mommy made me go to my room," Mattie whispered as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Why did you get sent to your room?"

"No reason."

"Your mommy is a pretty smart lady and would never do anything without a good reason. What did you do to make her angry?"

"I threw something at Sissy and it hit her face."

"I see." Dave blew out his breath.

"She said I was stupid and couldn't do anything right."

"Hmmm hmmm. And that is why you want to run away?"

"Yeah, I guess." Mattie shrugged.

"I want to support your decision to run away, but until I know the whole truth. Remember when I told you that I would always be honest with you?"

"Yeah," he nodded reluctantly.

"You have to be honest with me too. Tell me what happened and if I agree you got a bad deal, I'll drive you anywhere you want. Deal?"

"Deal."

Dave thought for a long moment. "When I was your age...maybe a little older, I tried to run away. I wanted to go to watch the baseball game in a nearby city, but my dad worked all the time. I got into a screaming match with my dad and told him that I thought he was mean to work all the time instead of being with me. Then I called him stupid."

Mattie's eyes grew wide. "What did he do?"

"He spanked me and told me to never say that to him again. Then he sent me to my room. While he was gone to work and my mother was doing laundry, I packed up some stuff and decided to run away. I was going to live with my baseball team forever."

"That's silly, Daddy."

"No more silly than what you are doing. But I understand. I didn't run away that day because my mother saw me sitting on the porch. I knew what the stadium looked like, but I didn't know where it was. She told me that I was wrong for what I did and that it hurt my dad not to be able to do things with me. But if I wanted to run away, I could, but she would miss me."

"Did you?" Mattie breathed.

"Did I what?"

"Did you run away after your mom said that she would miss you? Cause I wouldn't. Cause then she would have been sad."

"Well, I was really angry at my dad. But my mom hugged me and told me that she loved me more than anything...even when I was bad. I didn't run away. And I promised myself if I ever had a little boy, I would be the best dad alive. But I see you sitting here with a backpack and I wonder what I did to make you feel this way. So, will you tell me? Let me help you work all of this out?"

"You didn't make me feel this way. I was just really mad 'cause mommy yelled at me and sissy called me stupid."

"Remember Mattie, I'm honest with you and you're honest with me."

"Well, I was tired of Spencer being mean to you, Daddy. And I remembered the other day when mommy took a bath to get a new attitude, so I gave Spencer a bath. I just wanted him to be nicer to you."

"That explains a lot. And why did Mia call you stupid?"

"She thought I was drowning her cat."

"Did you tell her the truth why you were...washing her cat?"

"Well, no," Mattie confessed.

"Is that why you were punished?"

"No, I was punished 'cause I hurt Mia."

"She called you stupid and you… threw something at her, I'm guessing?"

"Yep. I threw the conditioner bottle at her 'cause I'm not stupid."

"If someone called me stupid, I would be angry too. I can't tell you that I approve of you hurting your sister, but I know what you were trying to do."

"I just wanted that cat to be nicer."

Dave ruffled Mattie's hair. "Son, it's going to take a lot more than a bath to make that cat nicer, trust me. You have a lot of love for your sister and your mother, and I know that right now you don't believe me, but if you leave, you will miss them. And they will miss you, too."

"I guess I should go say I'm sorry."

"Only if you mean it," Dave answered and leveled a look. "Never say anything you don't mean."

"I do mean it." Mattie crossed his heart.

"Good. I mean it when I say that I love you and I only want what's best for you. I think staying here would be best for everyone. Let's go talk to your mom."

"Dad, I love you too."

Dave took the backpack and started to open the front door. "Mattie, one question son, what did we learn from this?"

"Cats don't like water, and Spencer is evil." Matthew blew out his breath in a heavy sigh.

"Between you and me, the cat's name is Strauss. But don't tell anyone. Deal?"

"Deal." Taking his dad's hand, Matthew beamed a wide smile. Together they went inside.


	4. Mattie, age 9

**Here's the next chapter. I've actually been working on this for quite awhile but I just couldn't get it right, and a very smart person told me that you shouldn't try to force a story. So after taking a step back and catching up on homework (with resulted in a hatred of Shakespeare) I finally finished this chapter. **

**I still don't own Criminal Minds cause if I did, Hotch would wear a green tie and Morgan would shave that thing off his face. Oh well.**

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**

Walking through the crowd at the carnival, Dave watched as his son proudly held the plastic baggy that contained Charlie and keep it on display for all to see. Charlie wasn't an ordinary fish, he was special, Matthew had won him all on his own and Dave couldn't have been prouder. Dave noticed how happy his son looked as he chatted away with his newest pet. Glancing over at his wife and daughter, neither of who has said a word since they got to the carnival, he needed to break the silence.

"So Mia, what do you think about Mattie's new pet?"

"It's just a stupid fish, dad." Mia deadpanned.

"Maybe I should revise my hostage negotiation book with a section on how to talk to a pre-teen. What do you think Mia?" Dave said glancing over at his daughter to only receive an angry glare in return. "Em? Should I write it?" Dave asked glancing over at his wife.

"It wouldn't help anyone. You don't know how to talk to a pre-teen, David. No one does." Emily said as she nodded her head towards her daughter.

Glancing back at his two children in the backseat, Dave groaned as Mia continued to huff and pout about not getting her way, until both Emily and Dave had had enough.

"Mia. Stop pouting. You are spending the day with your family. That's the end of it." Emily said sternly glancing back at her daughter.

"I can spend the day with you guys any day. But there's a big sale at the mall today.." Mia said in a pleading tone.

"Mia! Enough! You are going to this picnic. End of dicussion."

"That's all you had to say, mom. You don't have to go and be a bitch about it too." Mia said with a straight face.

"Mia Elizabeth Rossi! That is enough! When this car comes to a stop, you are not getting out. Is that understood?" Dave yelled glancing at his daughter in the rearview mirror.

"Dad, that's not fair!" Mia whined.

"Don't make me repeat myself." Dave said sternly.

Pulling up to the park, Mattie saw that Henry was already there and jumped out of the car almost before Dave had even stopped. Mia watched as her mother climbed out of the car and closed the door without uttering a single word. Turning to face his daughter, Dave watched as Mia sank back into the leather of the seat.

"I will give you the benefit of the doubt that what happened was a slip of the tongue, and I will let it go this time. But if I ever hear that word - or any other disrespectful term - come out of your mouth, sorry will be the last thing you'll be feeling. Do I make myself clear and understood?"

"She was being mean, Dad. She knew I didn't want to come to this stupid picnic. But she made me. It's not fair!"

"Whether your mother is being unfair or not is not for you to decide. I don't care how much you feel this inconveniences you; we are still your parents and we make the decisions. Fair or unfair."

"You guys never let me do anything!"

"And if you continue down this road, this picnic will be the last thing you'll be allowed to do until you're 18. Choice is yours."

"I hate you" Mia said quietly.

"I'd rather be hated than to be disappointed in my daughter."

"Are we done yet?" Mia asked as she opened the door.

"I am" Dave replied.

"Good, so am I." Mia said before slamming the door.  
****

Sitting around the picnic table, Dave watched his daughter push the food around her plate without actually eating any of it. Glancing over at his wife, he noticed how upset she was. He needed to remind Mia to apologize to her mother. Casting his glance upon his son, he smiled as he watched the boy chat with Henry about the carnival and all the games. _Carnival?, _Dave thought as he looked around the picnic table for the small plastic bag. _Shit, the fish is in the car!_

"I will be right back, I forgot my phone in the car." Dave announced, standing up from the table.

Pulling open the door, Dave spotted the small plastic bag on the floor next to Mattie's backpack. Picking the bag up off the floor and holding the bag to eye level, Dave saw that poor Charlie had met his demise in the blistering heat of the car. _Quick, _Dave thought, _where can I put this?. _Glancing around, he decided that the trunk would be the best place for now at least until he thought of something to tell Mattie.

Sitting back down at the table, he noticed that everyone was caught up in their conversations that they hadn't even looked up.

"Did you find your phone? I thought not since it's in your shirt pocket." Emily whispered to her husband. Ignoring his wife, he turned his attention to the conversation between Morgan and Hotch about their latest take down.

After everyone had was stuffed and thoroughly tired from the days activities, Dave had decided that it was time to go home, plus he needed to have a talk with Mattie. Dave frowned as he pulled the car into the garage, and as soon as the car stopped, Mia immediately stormed off into the house, making sure to slam every door in the process. Emily followed shortly behind her leaving Mattie and Dave still in the garage. Dave felt his heart break as his son frantically searched the car, he knew exactly what he was looking for.

"Dad, have you seen Charlie?" Mattie asked as he checked the backseat once again. "I think that I might have left him at the park, Dad. We have to go back!"

"Matthew, there was an accident."

"An accident?"

"Yes, son. Charlie went to fish heaven while we were at the picnic."

"I want to see him."

"I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Why not?"

"You have to trust me."

"Alright. I trust you Dad."

"I'll get you a new fish."

"It's alright. Fish are stupid anyways. Can I have a puppy instead?"

"We'll see." Dave said putting his arm around Mattie and walking into the house.  
****

"Mia! Can you come downstairs for a second? Your mother and I would like to talk to you." Dave called from the bottom of the stairs.

"No! I don't want to talk to you." Mia shouted back.

"That was not a request, young lady."

"Alright, already. Don't give yourself a heart attack." Mia said as she came down the stairs. Walking past her father, she said nothing just rolled her eyes before taking the seat farthest away from her mother.

"What happened today was uncalled for Mia." Dave started, "I never want to hear you speak to your mother like that again. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Word of advice: Be careful what you wish for."

"I didn't actually wish for anything."

"That's enough, Mia! What has gotten into you?" Em asked from her seat next to Dave where she had sat silently until now.

"Nothing!"

"Don't raise your voice at your mother." Dave scolded.

"Sorry." Mia whispered.

"Now, what has gotten into you?" Dave asked.

"I just don't think its fair that I didn't get to go to the mall today." Mia asked glaring at her mother.

"And that's your excuse for your behavior today?" Dave wondered

"You don't understand. It's so unfair!"

"Doesn't matter if it's fair or not. That did NOT give you the right to act the way you did." Emily said sternly. Mia just shifted her eyes towards the floor and sat there in silence.

"When you decide to talk, we'll be ready to listen. Until then, you can sit there while the rest of us enjoy being a family." Emily said as she stood up from the couch and walked to the kitchen.

Dave glanced across the living room at his now teenage daughter. He couldn't believe that his little girl is growing up and at a much faster rate than he would have liked.

"What happened to my little girl?" Dave whispered shaking his head.

"She grew up Dad." Mia said causing Dave to look up, he must have said that louder than he thought.

"You will always be my little girl, no matter what. And I will always love you but I will not tolerate you being disrespectful of your mother."

"I know." Mia whispered quietly.

"Your mother and I raised you better than that."

"I know. I'm really sorry Dad."

"I'm not the one that you need to apologize too."  
****

Staring up at the ceiling, Mia listened as the wind howled outside her window. Hearing that familiar creak at the end of the hall, Mia knew that someone was coming down the hall. She watched through the creak in her door as the shadow drew closer to her door.

"Hey Mom." Mia said softly.

"What Mia?" Emily said harsher than she meant to as she stood in the doorway of her daughters room.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what I said. I really didn't mean it."

"Yes, you did. But that's alright. As hard as it is to believe I was a teenager once, and called my mother a few names as well and I meant every word."

"I am so sorry about what I said Mom." Mia said softly as Emily sat down on the bed beside her.

"I know pumpkin." Emily whispered as she brushed Mia's bangs back, "Now try and get some sleep."

"Alright Mom, goodnight. I love you."

"I love you too."


	5. Mia, age 16

_Finally I finished this chapter! Sorry for such the long wait between chapters but for me, I feel like this is the most important chapter that I have written in my Daddy Dave story because I knew it was going to be the hardest thing that Dave has faced so far in his role of parent to a teenage girl. Now, being a teenager myself, alot of this story came from my own experiences and how I think my dad acted when he was in the same situation. _

_So I guess all that's left is to say thanks to Kate, who spruced this chapter up and to my dad who inspired this whole story in the first place.  
_

* * *

There was one thing that David Rossi was absolutely certain about and he had been certain about it since he first laid eyes on his daughter Mia, 16 years ago now. Dave was absolutely certain that Mia was Emily's daughter through and through, and boy, was he right.

As Mia grew up, Dave watched as both his qualities and Emily's combined to make their pistol of a teenage daughter. Mia was stubborn as a bull and she never backed down from a challenge - which were traits inherited from both sides of the family. From the first moment Dave laid eyes on his daughter, he knew eventually the worst of both parents' traits would rear their ugly heads, but he had never thought it would be this soon and on a topic that Dave swore he would never change his stance on.

**DATING.**

Every time the topic was brought up, Dave always said the same thing. His answer was simple. His answer was always no. Everyone thought Dave was joking when he said that Mia wasn't allowed to date until she was married, but Dave was serious as a heart attack. Mia was never going to date if he could help it. It wasn't that Dave didn't trust Mia, because there was only one other person that Dave trusted more than his daughter and that was his wife. No, Dave didn't trust teenage boys with raging hormones. He was one once, and he wouldn't trust any boy that was even similar to him, and he especially wouldn't trust one with his little girl.

Now Emily had a completely different view of the whole dating situation. She trusted Mia and she made sure to do her best to inform Mia about boys and sex and then Em prayed. She prayed that Mia would not make the same mistakes that she did. So when Mia came to her mother with the topic of birth control and dating, Em's first thought was to say no but she knew if Mia was anything like her, that she would do it anyway.

After many arguments with Dave on both topics, Emily finally got her way and Dave just had to step back and grumble about hurting anyone who hurt his daughter and having friends who would be willing to help dispose of the body of the schmuck.  
******

The sound of the front door slamming jarred Dave from his sleep. The sound of angry footsteps flooded the house until Dave heard Mia's bedroom door slam. Dave groaned as he contemplated whether or not he should go check on the teenager.

If Dave had learnt anything from Mia's teenage years, it would be the fact that he DID NOT understand teenage girls and he never would. Standing up from the coach, Dave wondered why it was this weekend that Em had to be all the way in California on a case, leaving him alone with his now angered teenage daughter.

As he climbed the stairs, he thought about what Emily would do, what Emily would say but as he reached Mia's door, he realized he was screwed because according to Mia, he would never understand and he began to think she was right. He wondered if it would be against the rules of parenting to call in JJ or Penelope to pinch hit on this event.

Raising his hand, Dave went to knock and stopped when he heard his daughter on the other side of the door, crying.

"Mia, can I come in?" Dave asked through the closed door.

"Go away!" Mia shouted tearfully.

"Mia, you know I can't do that. Now are you gonna make me stand out here all night or are you going to let me in?"

"Dad, please go away. I don't want to talk about it," Mia said through all of her tears, she was so upset that Dave wasn't even sure if he heard her correctly.

"Mia, you know that I'm not going to go away," Dave said as he listened to the heavy shuffle through her room and unlocking of the door.

Dave's heart broke as soon as he laid eyes on his baby girl. Mia stood before him with puffy red eyes and tear stained cheeks. She frowned as she pushed the door open allowing her dad to step inside.

Sitting back down on her bed, Mia wiped the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt as she clutched the pillow closer to her chest. Dave and Mia sat in silence as Mia tried to keep her emotions under control - her Prentiss compartmentalization genes kicking in.

"Dad?" Mia whispered quietly.

"Yeah, Sweetie."

"What did I do to deserve this?" Mia said as the dam broke and she began to weep.

"Well first, you need to tell me what happened. Maybe I can help. But until you tell me, I don't know where to begin."

"Caleb's so stupid. Today at school, I was talking to Bethany, who heard from Jessica, who heard from Allison, who saw Caleb flirting with Samantha. SAMANTHA! Of all people! Caleb knows that I hate her. And then when I asked Caleb about it, he broke up with me because he said that wasn't ready for a relationship."

Mia took a deep breath and continued. "So then after school, Jessica and Bethany took me to get pizza because they thought that would make me feel better. Then we got there, I saw Caleb walk past the window holding hands with Samantha. She isn't even pretty! How could he do that to me? What did I do to deserve that?" Her words were rushed and choked between tears and sniffles. It took a couple of minutes for Dave to piece it all together so he wouldn't sound stupid when he replied.

"Sweetheart, I can say this because I used to be one. But boys especially ones that are your age, don't understand how to talk to girls and you guys aren't old enough to even be worrying about dating."

"I LOVED HIM DADDY!" Mia cried out. She turned her head away as hot tears filled her eyes. She should have known he wouldn't understand.

"Mia, you're 16. You don't know what love really is," Dave soothed.

"You just don't understand! You'll never understand!" Mia angrily retorted in a wavering tone.

"Help me to understand; I want to help your pain go away." No psychology class had prepared him for this moment. Hardened, brutal serial killers, psychopaths, and sociopaths were people he could get into the heads of, but he had no idea where to begin when it came to a teenager.

"I didn't even do anything to Caleb. He's probably just mad that I wouldn't go all the way with him."

Fear ran through Dave's body quickly. It was on the tip of his tongue to call the kid a punk and get his address. Taking a deep breath, he focused on the moment and not the urge to kill the boy who disrespected his baby girl.

"Mia, trust me. Boys your age only want one thing. And you don't deserve that. You need a guy who's gonna treat you like a princess, someone who would never to push you into doing something you don't want to do. One day, a long time from now, you are going to find the perfect guy, and he is gonna take care of you and he is gonna love you, but until then I think you should just focus on your studies."

"Dad…" Mia whined, but she didn't roll her eyes. Maybe it was because he was getting through to her. Or maybe it was that she was blinking back tears to quickly to roll them.

"Okay, at least don't focus so much on boys right now. All right?" He squeezed her hand lovingly.

"All right, Dad," Mia said as Dave stood up and turned towards the door. "Dad, wait," she called out as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around her dad and buried her face in his neck. Wrapping his arms around his daughter, Dave held her tight as he felt Mia's tears soak through his shirt. After a few minutes passed, Mia sniffled one last time before whispering her thanks and kissing Dave's cheek.

Dave wiped a stray tear off her cheek before kissing Mia's forehead. "I love you Mia."

"I love you too, Dad."  
**********

"Oh Em. I really needed your help today," Dave said into the phone later than night. "Mia was so upset and I'm not really sure that I helped." He related the gist of the conversation.

"_Dave, you are a wonderful father. I know that you helped," Em replied._

"I just hated having to see her that upset, especially since you weren't here to talk to her."

"_Dave, she's a teenager. This was bound to happen."_

"I just didn't think it was gonna happen so soon."

"_I know honey. They grow up fast."_

"Seems like just yesterday, Mia wanted to play princess tea party with me, now she's talking about boyfriends and taking birth control."

"_They're kids. They grow up, it's what they do. Just tell me that you aren't going over to Caleb's house to talk some sense into him," Em replied._

"I had been tempted. I'm still tempted," he corrected. A trace of anger was still in his voice. "I'm sure Morgan and Hotch will support me."

"_He isn't worth it. Mia is going to get over this and move on. And it will be because you were there for her. Right now, she needs her daddy."_

"I know Em," Dave said into the phone as Mia rounded the corner into the kitchen and sat down at the island across from him. "Em, I love you. I'll call you in the morning."

"_I love you too Dave. Don't worry; it will be alright. Tell Mia that I will call her later, okay?"_

"I will." Hanging up the receiver, Dave turned to his beloved daughter. He smiled at her. "That was your mother. She said she'll call you later."

Tears filled Mia's eyes again. Biting her lip, she nodded a response, not trusting herself to speak.

"I'll tell you what? Since your mother is out of town, and Matt is spending the night with Henry, why don't I take you out to dinner and movie?" Dave asked.

Mia furrowed her brow. "Like a…a _date_?"

Dave smiled sympathetically. "Let's call it a father/daughter excursion. What do you say? I heard there is a new Cars movie out we can see."

"Dad…" Mia whined, but this time she rolled her eyes. Parents are so uncool, she thought. But a smile tugged at her lips.

"And I'll even let you pay," Dave teased.

"Dad," Mia teased back. And this time, the smile reached her eyes.

Covering his daughter's small hand in his, he squeezed. The teenage years were hell. He had survived it once, and he would survive it again. And so would Mia.

Looking up at Dave with big brown eyes, Mia ducked her head and squeezed his hand back.


	6. Mia, age 18

_First of all, I have to say that I am so sorry for the super long wait between chapters! And secondly, I want to thank everyone that is still reading this story and commenting cause you guys are the reason that I actually want to finish this story. _

_So, as sad as it is for me to say this, this story is drawing to a close and I have about 3 chapters left before the end. But don't fret, you will see Mia, along with Jack in 'All We Are', which I am gonna focus on as soon as 'Parenting Playbook' wraps._

_Okay, I'm done talking now. On to the story!_

* * *

The stick was blue.

Blue!

Oh my god! What was she going to do? It had to be a mistake, right? Sometimes when people get nervous or confused they see things that aren't there, and no one could be more nervous than her right now. So, she blinked. Once. Twice. Three times.

But it was still blue.

Picking up the box, she looked at the directions. Pee on the stick. Check. Replace cap. Check. Wait three minutes. Check. Read results. Oh crap!

Setting the stick down, she looked in the mirror. Maybe she needed glasses. Yeah, that was it, she reasoned to herself. She was getting old and her eyes were failing her. Besides, both of her parents needed glasses and if she did the math, she was probably due for a pair real soon.

_Snap out of it, Mia! You don't need glasses, you need an ob/gyn, _she mentally shouted at herself. Slowly a tear broke free and trailed down her cheek. Self pity.

Oh God! Of all the things she had done to rebel against her parents, this had to be the worst one yet. Her mom was going to freak out and her dad… _Oh Daddy, I never meant to hurt you. And now you're going to kill me. _

Leaning against the wall, Mia slowly slid to the floor as she stared at the tiny white stick that just changed her life forever. She was only 18, she couldn't do this. Racking her brain for any possible explanation, she remembered that she had seen in movies and on TV that sometimes these tests were wrong; maybe just maybe she had grabbed a defective one. _Don't be stupid Mia_, she chided herself, _the only explanation is that you're pregnant and life as you know it, is now over_.

xxxxxxx

Clutching her pillow tighter, Mia forced herself to stop crying when she heard the garage door open then close, signaling that her parents were home from work. Taking a deep breath, Mia stood up and went into the bathroom. The first thing, she saw was that little piece of plastic sitting on the counter. Grabbing the test firmly in her hand, she pulled open the bottom drawer of her vanity before dropping the unforgiving test strip inside and slamming the drawer.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she frowned as she reached for her washcloth and ran it under the faucet. Pressing the washcloth against her forehead, she sighed. With her free hand, she touched her stomach. _How could you not have noticed,_ she asked herself? She knew that she couldn't hide this forever because eventually as her body changed, her secret would be known.

"Mia! Matt! You guys home?" Dave called from the foot of the stairs. Her father's voice startled Mia out of her daze.

Sitting down on the edge of her bed, Mia stared at her feet as thoughts of her parents crossed her mind. There is no way that she would be able to hide this from her parents for very long, they are profilers after all and they would see through any ruse that she tried to use.

Grabbing her sweatshirt of her desk chair, she quickly pulled it over her head and headed downstairs.

xxxxxxx

Mia felt both of her parents' staring at her as she ate her dinner in complete silence. Both Dave and Em found it odd that their normally high-strung teenager daughter hadn't said a word since she came downstairs. Neither of them pushed her though, because they knew that would only make whatever situation their daughter was dealing with, just that much worse.

Pushing her chair away from the table, Mia silently grabbed her plate and left the dinner room. Emily looked at her husband with worry written across her features as they heard Mia place her plate in the sink before retreating back to her room.

"I'm worried," Em said softly as Dave reached for her hand. Grasping her small hand in his larger one, Dave squeezed her hand as her whispered words of reassurance.

"It's alright, Cara. I'm sure it is just something about her friends or school. You know how Mia gets when she's stressed," Dave replied, his voice laced with concern for their teenage daughter.

"I know, David. It's just…she's my daughter, and if she's hurting then I'm hurting. I just want to be able to help her," Em answered quietly as she hung her head.  
xxxxxxx

Sitting in the white washed room, Mia glanced around at the other women in the room, each in a various stage of pregnancy. Closing her eyes tightly, she willed herself not to cry, thankful that she inherited her mother's compartmentalization skills. Mia couldn't think of another time in her life were she had been more scared or make nervous than right now. Sighing softly to herself, she wished that her mother was with her, holding her hand and telling her that everything was going to be okay.

A petite dark haired woman opened the door and everyone in the room lifted their head.

"Mia Rossi" the nurse called.

Grabbing her purse, Mia stood and followed the woman through the door. As they rounded the corner, Mia took in all the posters about pregnancy and birth control plastered along the hallway. The nurse opened the door to an exam room, and Mia walked in. The woman informed her that the doctor would be in shortly.

The nerves really had started to kick in as minutes passed and Mia sat in the room alone. She couldn't stop the lone tear that ran down her cheek as she reached up and wiped it away with the sleeve of her sweater. A knock broke her focus.

A woman around her mom's age with slightly lighter hair entered the room and offered a comforting smile as she sat on the stool across from Mia.

"Mia, why don't you tell me what brings you here today?"

xxxxxx

In the parking lot, Mia found herself sitting silently in her car as she stared down at the black and white picture in her hand. She was having a baby.

Tracing her finger across the small dot on the picture she thought about how it looked more like a lima bean than a baby.

Grabbing her purse, Mia shoved the picture inside before she drove away from the doctor's office. She wasn't quite sure where she was going but she had half a tank of gas, and she just needed to clear her head and think about how she was going to break her parent's heart with her earth shattering news.  
****

With a ¼ of a tank less of gas, she found herself pulling into her driveway. Silently cursing God, she pulled her car into the garage beside her dad's truck which meant that her parents had come home from work early today.

_Shit_, she thought to herself, _I'm not ready to do this yet_.

Gathering her belongings, Mia climbed out of the car before slamming the door shut behind her. Pushing open the door, Mia placed her keys on the kitchen counter before heading towards her room only to be stopped by her father's voice.

"Mia, your mom and I want to talk to you," Dave said softly as to not to startle his daughter who didn't notice her parents sitting in the living room.


	7. Mia, age 18, Pt 2

_Of course, I was going finish. I couldn't leave you guys hanging like that. So here is Dave and Em's reactions to Mia's shocking news._

* * *

_"Mia, your mom and I want to talk to you," Dave said softly as to not to startle his daughter who didn't notice her parents sitting in the living room._

As soon as Mia heard her father's voice, she knew that the moment of truth had come. Although, it had come much sooner than she had hoped, she knew that her fate was sealed and her parents would know her secret in just a matter of minutes.

Keeping her head low, Mia walked into the living room and sat down in the armchair that was directly across from her mother. An awkward silence hung overhead, as Mia hid her face from her parents gaze.

"Talk to us. Tell us what's wrong?" Dave pleaded.

"Sweetheart," Em started softly, "you know that whatever is bothering you, you can tell your father and me." Shaking her head, Mia kept her head down as she mumbled a reply.

"I can't."

"Mia," Dave said, "if it's about school, you know that your mother and I are willing to help you however we can, you just have to talk to us."

"It's not about school, Dad," Mia replied harshly.

"Then tell us what it's about," Dave answered back just as harshly. As soon as the words left his lips, he instantly regretted using that tone of voice in this delicate situation. Dave couldn't stop his heart from breaking when he saw the look of fear cross Mia's face.

"That's why I can tell you! You'll just get mad!" Mia exclaimed as she stood from her chair.

"Mia, sit down." Em said softly.

Sitting down, Mia knew that her parent's hearts were already breaking and she knew that the news they were about to receive was going to shatter them. Taking a deep breath, she finally mustered the courage to look up at her parents. And just as instantly she regretted it when she saw the pained expressions written all over her parents' faces.

"Mia, no matter what you tell us, your father and I won't love you any less."

"What I'm about to say is gonna test that theory," Mia whispered sardonically.

"We love you, Princess," Dave reminded. "We just want you to be happy and right now you are hurting. Tell us what is wrong, so we can help you."

"I don't think either of you understand. What I'm about to say is going to change everything. NOTHING is ever gonna be the same again!" Mia said as her resolve slowly began to break.

"Nothing is going to change. We are a family, no matter what, and we will stay a family. Always," Emily replied, trying her best in keep her composure intact.

"I'm pregnant," Mia whispered, the words were barely audible, she barely heard them herself. Neither of her parents said anything; they just stared at their daughter as they waited for her to repeat herself.

"I'm pregnant." This time the words were loud enough for her parents to hear. And as the look of rage crossed her father's face, Mia lowered her head and prepared herself for what was about to happen.

"You're what?" Dave shouted. His voice was thick with rage.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered. Glancing up, she saw the unshed tears shining in her mother's eyes as Dave began to pace about.

"Mia Elizabeth Rossi! I swear to God that if you are joking, you will wish that you were never born." Dave said through clenched teeth.

"I went to the doctor's today," Mia said as she reached into her purse and pulled out the black and white picture and handed it to her mother. Mia couldn't help but cry when she saw the tears slowly slip from her mother's eyes. Mia wanted her mother to say something, anything, but Em just sat there in silence and stared down at the proof in plain black and white that she was holding in her hands. Passing the picture to her husband, Emily sniffled as she reached for a tissue from the box in the center of the coffee table.

"I don't even know where to start," Dave said as he paced angrily.

"Dad, I'm sorry. It's not like I wanted this to happen. It just happened..." Mia said softly as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"Mia, you're 18! You're just graduated high school! You're not ready to have a baby!" Dave shouted.

"Whether I'm ready or not, I'm gonna have a baby, Dad!" Mia screamed back.

"My god! Mia, I thought we raised you better than this!" Dave spat, his voice full of rage.

"Yeah, Dad, just to spite you, I went and got pregnant!" Mia shouted as she stood of from her chair. "It's not like I wanted this to happen!"

"Mia, please sit down. Dave, stop yelling!" Em said as she stood from her spot and grabbed her husband's arm to stop his pacing.

"Look! I'm sorry, but it doesn't change that fact that I'm pregnant!" Mia said firmly before turning on her heel and storming up the stairs.

xxxxxx

Dave continued to pace the floor as he and Emily stood in awkward silence in the living room.

"How dare you?" Em whispered angrily as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "How dare you, David Rossi?"

"Em, our daughter just told us she's pregnant and you're angry with me?" Dave shouted.

"Don't yell at me, David." Em said calmly and in a way that stung worse than if she had yelled at him.

"Our daughter is pregnant, Em," Dave said as his pacing ceased and he collapsed into his armchair.

"And your reaction was completely uncalled for. You have no right to yell at her like that."

"I have every right, I'm her father."

"I think you forget that I was once in Mia's shoes, David. I didn't tell my parents because I knew my father would have reacted just like you did. You had no right to berate her like that. She's scared and you didn't help the situation at all," Em said before turning and going after their daughter, leaving her stunned husband alone to think about what he had done.

xxxxx

"Mia," Em said softly as she knocked on her daughter's door, "can I come in?"

"Go away," answered her daughter's tearful voice.

"Mia, please. Talk to me." Em pleaded through the door. Hearing her daughter shuffling around the room, Em frowned when Mia opened the door. It broke her heart to see her daughter in so much pain. Shuffling back to her bed, Mia curled up under the covers as sobs racked her body. Sitting down beside her daughter, Emily brushed a hand against her daughter's hair.

"Mom," Mia said tearfully once her sobs had subsided, "do you and Dad hate me?"

"Mia, you know that your father and I could never ever hate you. Your father is just upset but I promise you that he doesn't hate you. And I don't hate you."

"How can you not, Mom? I screwed up everything!" Mia said as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Mia, I can't hate you because that would make me a hypocrite," Emily replied gently.

"What do you mean?" Mia sat up and looked toward her mother with confusion written across her face.

"You know how because of Grandma's job, I moved around a lot as a kid?" Em asked slowly. Mia nodded. "When I was 15, we were in Italy and it was hard to get accepted - being the new kid and all. I got pregnant. I couldn't tell your grandparents, because I knew that they would be so angry. I made a mistake at 15 and I wasn't ready to have a baby, I couldn't have a baby."

"What did you do?" Mia asked, her eyes wide with horror.

"I made the wrong decision. I didn't listen to the voice inside that said that I should have talked to my parents and worked out a solution. I felt alone and scared." Em fought to hold the tears back and the memory flashed back fresh and painful. "What do you want to do?"

For a long time, mother and daughter stared at one another as the question hung in the air.

"Mom, I want to have this baby," Mia whispered softly.

"And I stand behind your decision 110%." Em reassured her daughter as she wrapped her arms tightly around her. And they held both stayed there and held each other while they cried.


	8. Mia, age 18, Pt 3

_Sorry for the long wait, here's Dave's reaction to Mia's news. _

_And I have to say thanks my pushy Mother for making me so mad, that the only thing I could do was write this chapter._

* * *

The next few weeks were full of tension between Dave and the women in his house. He knew that he had overreacted when Mia told he and Emily that she was pregnant, but how else was he supposed to react to that kind of news. _His baby girl is having a baby_. For weeks, Dave had been trying to wrap his head around the idea that he is going to become a grandfather, but honestly he just couldn't grasp that idea.

Every night when Dave went to sleep, he thought about how much of an ass he was that day - not only to Mia but to Emily as well. And as he slept alone in the guest room, he had plenty of time to think about what he would say to his girls. The cold shoulder that Dave had been receiving from both women was so harsh that he honestly thought he would freeze to death if he stayed in the room with them for too long. Dave realized that this had gone on long enough; it ended now.

xxxxxxxx

The next morning came early for Dave, as he was awoken with a start. A loud crash from the opposite end of the house pulled him from his dream. Grabbing his robe, he exited the room and headed towards the source of the noise. As he approached the kitchen, the sound of sobs floated through the otherwise silent house. It felt like a knife through his heart as he watched Emily sit at the table with tears streaming down her face, and silent sobs racking her body.

Glancing around the kitchen, he noticed a broken mug shattered across the floor. Gingerly stepping over the broken shards, Dave padded softly towards her, trying not to startle her. Kneeling down next to where she was sitting, Dave rested his hand on her thigh. Through bloodshot eyes and tear soaked lashes, Emily glanced up from her lap and over at her husband.

Neither of them said a word, as Dave reached up and brushed his knuckles against her cheek. Leaning into her husband touch, another tear slipped from her eye, as Dave quickly wiped it away with his thumb. Grasping his wife's hand tightly in his own, he finally allowed his resolve to break as he too, began to weep.

No words were spoken between the pair, no words were needed. Both Emily and Dave felt that they had let Mia down - that somehow they hadn't raised her correctly and this was God's punishment for them. If they had only spent more time with her, or if they had been at every dance recital instead of out chasing bad guys, then maybe, just maybe things would be different than they are now. No matter how much Dave and Em cried about the past, their tears would not change what had already been done.

xxxxxxxx

Sitting in his study, Dave grasped his phone tightly in his hand as he debated whether or not to make the call. If there was one thing that was for certain, whatever Dave needed, he would have the answer. Dialing the all too familiar number that was somewhat neglected in his recent years, Dave lifted the receiver to his ear.

"Hey stranger," the voice on the other end of the phone answered.

"Hey Jimmy," Dave replied solemnly.

"Why do I feel like I'm going to be drinking tonight?" Jimmy asked with a chuckle.

"Because you are," Dave answered back with a slight harshness in his voice.

"Same place?" Jimmy asked in an understanding manner.

"Yeah, see you at 7, Jimmy," Dave replied with head hung low as he ended the call and set the phone on his desk.

Shifting in his seat at the bar, Dave stared into the glass the bartender had placed in front of him. Resting his head in his hands, he waited. Each time the bell chimed signaling another patron entering the bar, but Dave didn't look up; he just stared at the amber liquid in his glass.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Jimmy greeted as he patted Dave on the back and took the seat beside him at the bar. Getting himself a drink, Jimmy cast a sidelong glance at his deeply troubled friend.

"What's on your mind, David?" Jimmy asked. Dave didn't respond at first, he just sat there.

"I'm a horrible father," he eventually blurted out.

"There are two children and one woman I know for sure that would say otherwise."

"I let them down. All of them" Dave said in a defeated tone. Jimmy didn't speak; he just took a sip of his drink and waited for Dave to continue.

"Mia's pregnant, Jimmy," Dave stated. "And when she told us, I snapped. And I said some things, some very judgmental things that hurt both her and Emily. I wasn't thinking. I should have raised her better. Could I have prevented this?" Dave asked.

"David, you of all people know that everything happens for a reason. It's all part of a bigger plan that's beyond any of our control."

"Why did this happen to Mia, Jimmy? Why did this happen to my baby? Why my family?" Dave asked in a pleading tone.

"The Lord never gives us more than we can handle, David. And you are one of the strongest people, I have ever met. And your family, even stronger," Jimmy started as he placed his hand on Dave's shoulder. "If anyone can handle this, it's you. Be strong David."

xxxxxxx

After his talk with Jimmy, Dave arrived home to find his daughter curled up on the couch watching old reruns of 'Friends'. Approaching the couch, he watched as a smile lit up his daughter's face for the first time, he had seen in at least a month. Taking a deep breath, Dave tried to collect all of his thoughts before he sat down to talk with Mia.

"Pumpkin?" Dave asked, watching as Mia glanced over her shoulder at him and her smile quickly faded. "Can we talk?" Dave asked, waiting on Mia's response. Shifting her position on the couch, Mia sat up and nodded.

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry for what I said. I was out of line and I'm sorry. Dave said as he watched Mia open her mouth to interrupt. "Let me say everything before you speak. I shouldn't have yelled, it just made the situation worse, I snapped at you and at your mother and I'm sorry, I shouldn't have reacted that way, but honestly, sweetheart, I didn't know how else to react. I felt like I let you down, like I failed you as a father because you felt that you couldn't trust me enough to tell me what was happening. I felt like I failed you because I didn't prevent this from happening, but I want you to know that I'm not angry, or upset, I'm shocked. My baby is having a baby. In all my days, I didn't think I was going to be a father, let alone a grandfather. And no matter what, I will stand by you because I love you with all of my heart and nothing will ever change that."

"Dad, you didn't fail me. There is nothing that you could have done differently to prevent it, these things just happen. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you and Mom sooner, I was just afraid."

"Which you had every right to be. But I want you to know that you can come to me and your Mom about anything."

"I know and I trust you guys, I really do. I just… this was just a difficult thing… a scary thing… and I hadn't even come to grips with it myself," Mia confessed.

"I'm sor…"

"Dad, I got it. You're sorry. What you said really hurt. You yelling at me, really hurt, but I forgive you because your my dad and the baby's grandfather, and I love you," Mia said as she wrapped her arms tightly around her dad's neck.

"I love you too, Princess - both of you." Dave whispered softly.


End file.
